Double Bass How do you play this specific chord?

[The Dominus]

This is in the first movement of the Dittersdorf Concerto. It is in the treble clef, the top line and first ledger line. I have been attempting to play it with 2nd on the F# on the D string and thumb on the high A on the G string, but it really doesn't sound very good. Are there any other methods out there to play this? Thanks!

 

[PaulCannon]

Could you be a little more specific, maybe with a score sample? I'm not even sure which Dittersdorf concerto you're referencing.

I assume you're talking about a double stop with F# and A in fourth position, but I don't see that anywhere in the first movement until the cadenza (Concerto No. 2 in D major). If that's what you mean, you can try using 1-3 instead by collapsing the last joint of your first finger. Some people might tell you to never collapse your joints, but those people are crazy.

And if it's a double stop, you should remember to focus your bow's contact onto the lower string and just barely touch the higher string. This will almost always get a much better tone.

 

[Co.]

In Dittersdorf, all notes written in treble clef are to be played as harmonics, so I think, you are talking about the second passage in harmonics, when it modulates to F#-minor.
So play the F# and A as harmonics on the D string. The C# as a harmonic on the A string.

There is also one harmonics passage before and after. Both are played on the D + A strings.

 

[PaulCannon]

FWIW, you'll probably get more responses in the Orchestral Technique section. People on this forum don't care about Music.

 

[The Dominus]

Thank you two. I will ask more specifically and in the other section.

 

[Co.]

In Dittersdorf, all notes written in treble clef are to be played as harmonics,

I made a mistake here. The three bars before rehearsal mark 8 in the Tischer-Zeitz edition, are written in treble clef, but are not to be played as harmonics. Other than that, everything in the first movement, that is written in treble clef is harmonics.